Cracking the Leading Man's Act
by Cable Fraga
Summary: BalthierAshe “So, you think you can show up in my personal quarters. Oh, excuse me, my own bed, after being gone more than a year... and I would just jump back into your arms after you said, 'I miss you'”


A/N - Okay, this nibblit has been running around in my head for a couple of weeks, just looking for the right opportunity and mood to post it. This does NOT take Revenant Wings into account (although, I am working my way through it ;) ) Please enjoy -- con/crit reviews are always welcomed!

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Ashe wasn't aware of the exact moment that she had woken up, but she felt that she had been awake for awhile. She was in her royal comfortable bed, in her most luxurious nightgowns made of pure silk, an off-white color, simply hung off her shoulders in wide straps, hugged her waist comfortably, flowing out around her feet when she walked. 

She attempted a change in position, keeping her eyes closed, wondering if she was just dreaming of being awake. She finally had a night where she went to bed at a decent hour, knowing that her first meeting with anybody was after noon, so she would be allowed to relax for as long as she wished.

She stretched her arms out over her head and twisted her body so that she was laying on her side. She felt her nose itch. She wrinkled it, and then it itched again. She frowned using her hand to scratch it gently. She yawned and opened her eyes.

Her eyes widened suddenly and yelped. She made to sit up suddenly and lost balance falling to the ground rather ungracefully, her posterior receiving the brunt of the fall. "Ow."

She heard chuckling from atop her bed. "Did I catch you at a bad time, Princess?" The theatrical arrogant voice questioned.

Ashe gathered her wits about her quickly and stood quickly carrying her pillow under her arm. "What are you doing?" She growled angrily throwing her pillow at the sky pirate who propped himself up on his elbow on her bed wearing his customary smirk.

He caught the pillow easily, placing it next to him gently. "Bit of a drooler aren't you, Highness?"

Ashe rolled her eyes and walked away to her dressing table, picking up her robe that was laid across the seat right before she went to bed. She wrapped it around her shoulders, tying the knot that secured it around her waist, folding her arms across her chest. She turned to face him cocking her head to the side. "What are you doing here?"

"I was trying to nap, but unfortunately, your snoring was overwhelming," he winked.

Ashe rubbed her forehead. "You are not going to get under my skin right now. This is the first morning I have had off in ages, and frankly, I'd rather just get back to sleep."

"Don't let me stop you," Balthier suggested with a little too much enthusiasm.

Ashe sighed. "Nice to know you are alive."

"I thought the ring would prove that much to you," Balthier's expression sobered up slightly.

"Yes, indeed. It was a relief to find out, even though it took a year," she growled.

"You weren't worried about me, Princess," Balthier coddled.

"Of course I was!" Ashe balled her hands into fists and stamped her foot against the floor. "And, it's Queen, now."

"I know," Balthier's smirk returned. "I was there."

"The coronation?" Ashe asked.

Balthier nodded. "You were quite a stunning sight. The whole city of Rabanastre was enamored by you."

"I see," Ashe replied simply. She leaned back against the table folding her arms back around her. "What are you doing? Obviously the security here needs something of an overhaul."

Balthier nodded, "Obviously," he agreed.

"Are you going to answer my question?" Ashe's forehead wrinkled. "Why go through all the trouble to just irritate me?"

Baltheir chuckled. "It's always worth the trouble to irritate you, your highness."

"Of course," Ashe rolled her eyes. "Go away. I'm tired. If it's games you want to play, please at least schedule so it's at a more convenient hour."

He rolled off the bed in a swift sleek graceful movement and was on his feet in an instant. She could barely believe her eyes. He then casually leaned against one of the posts of her four poster bed his brown eyes studying her eyes.

She tried to look unimpressed, but there was this conflict inside her. This part deep down inside her that was furious at seeing him, now... after all this time... and yet there was this other part, that wanted nothing more than to make him stay with her. It was that voice of his. That silky, sexy, voice that just makes her knees weak. The voice paired with those eyes and his sultry smooth movements that made her stiff stern queen face crack slightly. Just slightly, and of course, he being as keenly observant as he normally was, caught the break in her expression.

She sighed and looked down aimlessly at her dressing table playing with a lid that was shaped of a bird on one of her favorite lotions.

"I miss you," Balthier finally broke the silence.

She looked up quickly, surprised that he said anything at all, especially... _that_. She looked back at him confused. "You miss me?"

"Yes," his voice was gentler.

She felt her face redden with embarrassment. "I've been here."

"I know," he said barely above a whisper.

"So, you think you can show up in my personal quarters. Oh, excuse me, my own bed, after being gone more than a year... and I would just jump back into your arms after you said, 'I miss you?'" She lifted her hands up in exasperation.

"Several events happened," he began weakly.

"A letter, a messenger, something or the other while I cried over you... and Fran," she added quickly.

"Ashe, I'm sorry," he spread out his hands in supplication. "That was not my intent at all."

"No, of course not," she spat.

"To be fair. Did you really think we could continue on as we were? I'm a sky pirate who killed his father. You are queen of one of the hottest properties on Ivalice. Sooner or later my sins will catch up to me, and you don't need to be in the middle of that drama," he stood straight, his hands on either side of him.

"Didn't Larsa pardon..." Ashe started.

"You don't get it, do you Ashelia?" He interrupted her. "It's my father's fault all this happened. His damned obsession with the Nethicite... His partnership with Venat and Vayne. If it weren't for him, the war wouldn't have happened. Nabudis wouldn't have been razed and..." his voice cracked.

"I wouldn't have met you," Ashe supplied simply.

"Rasler would still be alive," Balthier took a step closer to her. "Does this make sense to you, now?"

"You did not kill Rasler," Ashe said softly.

Balthier gritted his teeth and tapped his fist against his leg absently. "Not directly, but perhaps my actions could have stopped it. If only..."

"If only, what? You realized at sixteen that you had to stop your father from his nethicite research? As if you could. His research drew interest from more than just Vayne, I assure you. Rozarria, Nabudis... Dalmasca..." she said letting her voice drop.

"My excuse may not be a good excuse, but it's the best I have," Balthier grimaced. I wasn't sure how much you would resent me for."

"If anything, I resent that you didn't allow me to help you. Where did you go after the Bahamut crashed?"

"Ah, well, that is a bit of a Viera thing, actually. Fran is a very private person when it comes to injuries. We retreated to where we could heal."

Ashe closed her eyes and nodded. She sensed when Fran was hurt when they traveled that she would prefer to be alone with the exception of her pirating partner. She drew a deep breath. "So, what has changed now?"

Balthier looked away sheepishly. "I cannot stop thinking about you."

Ashe raised her eyebrows, "Excuse me? Leading man?"

"I have tried. Ask Fran. It is as if carnal twilight activities no longer hold my interest," Balthier sputtered out rather angrily.

Ashe rolled her head back as if to let out a bellow of laughter. She snorted and looked at Balthier's slight lack of composure with a glint of maliciousness in her eyes. "So, you can't have casual sex anymore? I'm sorry if I can't seem to muster up the sympathy for your malady."

"Beautiful women were throwing themselves at my feet. Especially, since I have a bit of a reputation," he rubbed the back of his neck absently while winking at Ashe.

Ashe rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but find his expression somewhat endearing. _Stop that, Ashe_, she scolded herself. "So, what does this mean? How am I to fit into your leading man's play."

Balthier, his face serious, stepped closer to her. "No play. No games."

Ashe's throat went dry. His sincerity was damned attractive. She licked her lips nervously. "I don't understand. You made quite the compelling argument that we shouldn't be together. You know, you are a sky pirate, wanted criminal with insurmountable bounties on your head, and I'm the queen."

"If it were easy, it wouldn't be worth it," he replied cheekily. He closed the distance between them, leaving barely a hands breadth between them.

She narrowed her eyes at him shaking her head. She turned away from him taking a couple of steps away. "You assume that I would just jump right back into your arms?"

"I was left under the impression that you were rather lonely," he spoke to her back.

Ashe shook her head. "I'm the queen. I'm never alone."

"That doesn't imply that you are not lonely," Balthier offered softly.

She felt him step closer to her. She had trouble focusing on the present. Flashes of the past were catching up to her. The nights where she didn't even trust herself to hold it together in front of her knight. The nights where she listened to him talk about the good times with his father. They shared the deepest part of themselves with each other, finding comfort in each other, finding solace, warmth, and love.

Her eyes clouded over slightly as tears threatened to fall. She wanted nothing more than to go back to that night. The night where lovemaking blocked out the fears of the impending confrontations and battles. Basch had warned her of her folly, assuring that she would be broken afterward. He was right.

"Where were you when I cried into my pillows after long hours of greedy pompous asses that I call my 'advisors' tried to manipulate more power from me? Where were you when I had to bury friend after friend after the battle just outside of the city? Where were when I lost touch with the five best friends I've ever had?" The tears spilled down her face.

"Ashelia," Balthier spoke her name heavy with emotion.

"Don't call me that," Ashe turned to face him, but couldn't meet his eyes.

"Your Highness, then," he reached his arms around her pulling her in.

She thought briefly about pushing him away, but decided she deserved this moment. She placed her hand on his velvet vest. She traced the pattern aimlessly with her fingers, making sure to wipe her nose upon the garment. She heard his heart beat speed up slightly, his breath against her as he kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back gently. She took in a deep breath, smelling his smell, a mix of leather and a cologne that was distinctly him. She realized that all the time missed suddenly was a blur.

"How?" she asked suddenly.

"How what?" Balthier gently brought her chin up to face him.

"I just..." she started, but was interrupted by his lips upon hers, gentle, warm, simple. She gazed at his lips when he separated from her. She inhaled the air that slipped from his lips, as if it gave her the strength to face the harshest trials, knowing he believed in her and would never let her fall.

"Would you have stopped me?" she fixed her eyes upon his.

"Stopped you?" he replied confused wrapping his hand around hers, still holding her close to him.

"If I had tried to use the nethicite to destroy the empire? Your home? To enact severe revenge?"

She half expected him to brush her off with a casual satirical comment. He took in a deep breath, the smell of the desert, her lotions, the smell that was distinctly Ashe. "I don't know if I ever had the power to stop you, my Queen. You are quite the dominant force."

"I see," Ashe answered shakily.

"I would've stayed, though," he answered simply. "I would've helped you as much as I could. I would do what I could've to make sure that you did not lose yourself to a stone. I would do anything to bring you back to me."

"Give up sky pirating?" Ashe wrinkled her brow.

Balthier sighed deeply.

"Don't answer," Ashe brought her hand up to his mouth. "That wasn't fair."

He studied her and found himself falling for her more than he thought possible. He kissed her hand. "I love the sky, Ashelia. I love what it represents. It's freedom, open and endless." He smiled an honest wide earnest smile. "The pirating," he shrugged, "Is a means to an end."

Ashe couldn't suppress a small giggle. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath, using every ounce of strength that she could muster and pushed herself away from him turning away.

Balthier, clearly confused by her movements, stepped closer, but was stopped when she physically pushed him back with her hand. "I can't."

Balthier frowned, "I beg your pardon?"

"I mean, I can't do this. Not like this. Not this soon. I need time. You had over a year to work things out... and I had a year to get used to the idea that I lost you." She walked over to the balcony. "I assume this is how you came in?"

Balthier scoffed, "Hardly. Climbing up onto balconies is so trite. Secret passageways that lead to sewers are far more exciting."

"And less guarded," Ashe offered.

"Quite," Balthier agreed. He studied her, looking for a sign of some sort of weaken resolve. He desired her deeply. He closed his eyes rubbing his forehead, realizing that taking that kind of advantage was ungentlemanly and she would eventually resent him for it. She turned to gaze out over the balcony where the full moon's light bathed the gardens in its faint glow. "I will give you your time, Ashelia. I promise you, I will be back."

Ashe nodded whispering, "Thank you."

"Just one small request," Balthier hesitated.

"What is it?" She turned to him.

"Can I see your nightgown? Just a small look?"

Ashe chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. She loosened the knot on the robe and let it fall dramatically off her shoulders as she raised her eyebrow seductively at him. Balthier grunted an appreciative sound.

"Until next time, Highness."

"Until then, Pirate."


End file.
